Racecar Challenge Plus Educational Program

The Racecar Challenge Plus is a free educational program for students in the 2nd and 3rd years of Junior High School and the 1st year of Senior High School who attend a school in Greece in September 2026.

The program is based on Racecar Neo, an innovative Python and robotics course designed by the Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

What does it include?

• Free access to BWSI’s online, asynchronous RACECAR Neo and Python Core courses, in English.
• Learning Python, robotics, and computer vision through hands-on activities and problem-solving.
• Participation in the Racecar Challenge Competition, the 6th Greek autonomous racecar programming competition, which will take place on May 15, 2027, at Pierce – The American College of Greece.
• Access to an intensive three-day robotics camp by the HERON Robotics Center of Excellence-Athena R.C. in Athens, with priority given to the 20 students with the highest ranking in the competition.

Racecar Challenge Plus is the result of a collaboration between the Mathisi Initiative and the Beaver Works Summer Institute, with the support of the MIT Club of Greece, as well as the collaboration of the Mathisi Initiative with Pierce – The American College of Greece, which organizes and hosts the competition, and with the HERON Robotics Center of Excellence-Athena R.C., which will design and implement the educational robotics camp in Athens.

 

The Racecar Challenge Competition

The Racecar Challenge Competition is based on the Racecar Neo Python and Robotics course designed by the Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is offered free of charge to students enrolled in Greece in the 2nd or 3rd year of Junior High School or the 1st year of Senior High School in September 2026.

As last year, this year’s competition will be based primarily on the code that teams will be asked to write on the day of the competition, according to the Grand Prix track that will be presented to them at that time. Unlike last year, however, for the first time this year, students will also receive points in recognition of high scores in Racecar Neo.

Successful completion of the Racecar Neo course by May 14, 2027, is required for students to participate in the competition. By registering for the Racecar Challenge, students and their teacher receive free access to the online asynchronous Racecar Neo course as well as Python Core, a comprehensive introductory Python course designed and offered by BWSI (in English).

 

A unique prize

The winning team, together with its accompanying teacher, will have the opportunity to attend the final week of the BWSI 2027 summer program at MIT and represent Greece in the international competition.

The travel and accommodation expenses of the winning team and the accompanying teacher are not covered by the organizers or BWSI.

 

Certificates

Students who successfully complete the RACECAR Neo and/or Python Core courses by July 31, 2027, will receive a certificate of completion from BWSI.

 

Who is it for?

Racecar Neo & Python Core Courses

Teachers

The Racecar Neo and Python Core courses are open to teachers who:

currently teach at a school in Greece (this program is not available to for-profit organizations)

• have sufficient knowledge of Python and sufficient knowledge of computer science, programming, or technology to support their team(s),
• are not included on the United States OFAC (U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanctions list and are not citizens of a country subject to U.S. sanctions or embargoes. Please note that the list may be updated from time to time.
• have completed their registration and the registration of their team(s) by November 6, 2026, at 18:00.

Students

The Racecar Neo and/or Python Core courses are open to students who:

• attend a school in Greece and are in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of Junior High School or the 1st year of Senior High School in September 2026,
• have knowledge of programming (Python) and/or robotics
• have formed teams of 2-4 members,
• are under the guidance of a teacher from their school
• are not included on the United States OFAC (U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanctions list and are not citizens of countries subject to U.S. sanctions or embargoes. Please note that the list may be updated from time to time,
• have completed their registration by November 6, 2026, at 18:00, through their teacher.

 

Racecar Challenge Competition

The Racecar Challenge Competition is open to students who:

• meet the eligibility requirements for participation in the Racecar Neo course,
• were not members of a team that has already won a previous Racecar Challenge Competition,
• have successfully completed the Racecar Neo course by May 14, 2027.

 

Heron Robotics Camp

The Heron Robotics Camp is open to students who:

• will have participated in this year’s 6th Racecar Challenge Competition.
• will have ranked among the top 20 participants in this year’s 6th Racecar Challenge Competition.

 

How do I participate?

1. Registration

Teachers register their students for Racecar Neo and/or Python Core and the Racecar Challenge in 2 steps: an initial registration through the Pierce portal (Register Here below) and a subsequent registration directly with BWSI. Registrations are open from September 21 to November 6, 2026. (Students cannot register individually).

2. Program participation

Students will attend the Racecar Neo course under the guidance of their teacher. Familiarity with the basic principles of programming and Python is recommended. Approximately 3 to 4 hours on average are required to complete each chapter of the Racecar Neo course (with some chapters possibly requiring fewer or more hours). The course fully supports distance learning and includes the RacecarSim simulator, which simulates the behavior of the physical vehicle based on the student’s programming.

Students and teachers who register for Racecar Neo have free access to the Python Core course, an optional Python training course that students may choose to complete before beginning Racecar Neo, depending on their level of Python knowledge.

For more information, visit https://racecarchallenge.org/.

*Registrations will open on September 21, 2026.

 

Contact

For information regarding registration: racecar@acg.edu

For information about the overall program: info@mathisi.org

 

Key dates

September 21, 2026

Registration opens for Racecar Neo and/or Python Core and the Racecar Challenge

October 1, 2026

Start of the Racecar Neo Mathisi 2026 course on the BWSI platform

November 6, 2026

Registration deadline

March 15-30, 2027

Information provided to participants regarding the Competition

May 10, 2027, at 18:00

Submission of code for the Time Trials for participation in the Racecar Challenge

May 14, 2027, at 18:00

Completion of the Racecar Neo Mathisi 2026 course (a prerequisite for participation in the Racecar Challenge Competition)

May 15, 2027

6th Racecar Challenge at Pierce – The American College of Greece in Athens

June 14-18, 2027

Three-day Robotics Camp organized in Athens by Heron

July 26, 2027

Start of the winning Racecar Challenge team’s participation in the final week of the BWSI summer program at MIT.

July 31, 2027

• Racecar Challenge 2027 Final Competition at BWSI
• Completion of Racecar Neo for students who were unable to complete it earlier but chose to continue the course in order to receive a certificate of completion from BWSI, and completion of Python Core